Margo is joined by Emily McDowell to discuss the less glamorous side of running a creative business. Emily is a writer, illustrator, speaker, and entrepreneur who is fiercely committed to NOT doing all of those things at the same time. In 2012, after a decade working in advertising, Emily founded the stationery and gift brand, Emily McDowell Studio. In January of 2021, the brand changed its name to Em & Friends, to reflect its expansion into partnerships with additional artists and writers. She currently serves as the brands creative director.
Emily and Margo chat about:
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Taking stock of what you want your life to look like
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Entrepreneurship and burnout
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Taking self-care into your own hands (because no one else is going to do it for you)
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How Emily began to separate her self-worth from her productivity, success, and business
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Why she rebranded and changed her business name
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Things she would do differently if she could go back in time
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Taking a holistic approach to ‘work-life balance’
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Some tough lessons she’s learned over the last 10 years as a creative entrepreneur
Emily’s work has been featured by The New York Times, Good Morning America, BBC News, and NPR’s All Things Considered, among many others, and in 2015, she was named one of Slate’s 10 Designers Who Are Changing the World.
Connect with Emily: